Josh Riley Fights to Protect Social Security Amid DOGE Attacks

As DOGE continues to gut critical Social Security services across New York, Congressman Josh Riley is stepping up to protect seniors and ensure those in rural communities have access to the help they need. Riley’s bipartisan Social Security Access Act would stop these cuts in their tracks and guarantee that every American, no matter where they live, can access Social Security assistance by phone, online, or in person.

DOGE-led cuts have already put several Social Security offices in New York at risk of closing—including a Hudson Valley office that permanently shut its doors last month, leaving vulnerable seniors across an entire region of the state without access to in-person assistance.

Riley’s legislation would not only protect in-person access to Social Security representatives and better telephone service but require yearly reporting on service quality, accessibility, and security—holding the system accountable to seniors who worked their entire lives to earn these benefits.

Read more on Congressman Riley’s legislation…

Daily Freeman: Riley pushes bill to improve access to Social Security Administration

• U.S. Rep. Josh Riley is pushing legislation to require the Social Security Administration to maintain in-person access to representatives and better telephone service, according to the congressman’s office.
• Riley, D-Ithaca, who represents the 19th Congressional District, introduced the Social Security Access Act, “a bipartisan bill to ensure every American can continue accessing vital Social Security services—whether online, over the phone, or in person,” Riley’s office said in a statement.
• “The legislation comes in response to troubling developments from the so-called DOGE committee, whose cost-cutting agenda has already triggered service disruptions, office closures, and reduced call center availability,” the office said. “For Upstate New Yorkers, especially seniors and folks in rural areas, access to assistance with Social Security isn’t a luxury; it’s a lifeline.”
• “Our seniors built this country. They worked tough jobs, paid into the system every paycheck, and earned every dime of their benefits,” Riley said in a statement.
• “They deserve better than jammed phone lines, glitchy websites, and shuttered offices. This bill makes it clear: if you paid in, you’re getting through.”
• “We’re going to make sure that every person—no matter where they live or how they get around—can access the Social Security benefits they’ve earned,” Riley said.
• It also blocks attempts to shut down or degrade any of the access points and requires annual reporting on service quality, accessibility, and security, Riley’s office said.
• “When Americans contribute to Social Security with every paycheck, not only are they paying for future benefits — they are also paying for high quality customer service in-person, over the phone, and online,” said Alex Lawson, executive director of Social Security Works, in a statement.

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